December 2018

Our year ended with many fun times and new memories.

This month the boys finished their first semester with the River Valley Virtual Academy. The both did very well and proved they were up for the challenge. They also finished the semester of piano with a recital at a local nursing home.

The boys and Jeff served at a Christmas party and dinner hosted by our church for local kids with disabilities. This was their third year. They really enjoy the opportunity to serve and had a great time making and serving drinks along with singing Christmas Carols.

As Jeff wrapped up school for the semester, the kids and I packed. We filled our suburban to the top and then headed to Michigan to spend Christmas with Nana and Papa. The Lord provided snow and mild temperatures. It was great weather for sledding. This was the girls first time sledding and they took to it with gusto! The boys also got to go ice skating. Nana and Papa thoroughly spoiled us all and we had a wonderful time.

Before a snow storm blew in, we packed the car and headed to Wisconsin to spend a few days with Grandma and Grandpa. There was a lot of fun and competition over several board and card games. The boys were blessed to get to go skating again and had a blast racing their cousins on the ice. The girls loved all the time reading with grandparents and snuggles with their cousins.

We were very fortunate to have relatively good weather for travel and the kids did well for spending 38 hours in the car during the 10 days we were gone! We feel so blessed to have a family we love visiting and who celebrate Christmas with Christ at the center. Nana even made a birthday cake for Jesus to help the kiddos visualize the true reason we have to celebrate.

The Sunday sermon was a perfect way to end this year and look forward to the new. Pastor Gary reminded us that God is Sovereign over time. I am praying that as we dive into the New Year we remember and rest in the fact that we serve a God who is Sovereign over All!

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November 2018

November with it's special time of Thanksgiving is a great month to reflect on all we are thankful for. Following are some things we are thankful for this month:

Grandma and Grandpa Rice coming to visit.
Eli's 11th Birthday!
Grandpa's birthday.
Cousin Seth's birthday.
Amazeum memberships.
Operation Christmas Child and opportunities to serve.
A new guitar for Eli.
New garage doors.
Talented and caring therapists for Marie.
Technology and the ability to Skype with loved ones who live far away.
A new baby in our small group.
Our church family.
Another successful surgery for Anna.
Bible Study Fellowship
Jeff's job.
Decorating for the upcoming celebration of Christ's birth.

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October 2018

October has finally brought cooler temperatures and a more fall like feel. We have enjoyed being able to spend time outside without sweating profusely. While the trees still have most of their leaves, they are beginning to change color and the grass has finally slowed its growth.  Read on for some of the highlights from October.

We were so excited to be able to use the fire pit the boys dug out almost a year ago. It has been sooo hot and humid that we didn't even want to think about starting a fire. So, when the weather cooled we jumped at our chance. There is just something about roasted hot dogs and s'mores that screams fall. The kids thoroughly enjoyed every part of the experience. Even Zeke got  to enjoy the time when a rogue hot dog jumped off the end of one of the kids sticks!

The big girls had a blast when they got to go on a field trip to the pumpkin patch. They had been studying about seeds and how they grow into plants. Picking their own pumpkin off the vine was a perfect way to wrap up the lesson!

The boys had a kidney check-up this month. While their disease continues to progress, it is happening at a very slow rate and both boys are in "stable" condition. We are so thankful that their limitations are few and that they get to live fairly "normal" lives at this point. We appreciate continued prayers for physical healing but also know that their spiritual health is more important. Thad is writing a paper about Polycystic Kidney Disease for one of his classes. I have been so impressed that he is not fearful but both he and his brother are completely trusting God for their future. They are such a powerful example for me to follow!

One night towards the end of the month, Eli said he heard a shot go off right outside. Turns out the spring on one of our garage doors snapped, trapping our van in the garage. Thankfully, a garage door company was able to open the door for me to get the van out. Unfortunately, both doors need to be replaced. So, in addition to the kitchen renovation Jeff is now re-framing the garage doors so new ones can be installed. I am so thankful for a handy husband who isn't afraid to tackle any project!

All the kids had dental appointments this month and all of them came away with a great report...no cavities! Now they can enjoy the candy they got at the Fall Festival. Speaking of which, the kids thoroughly enjoyed getting to dress-up and play silly games at our church.

Fall is such an awesome time here to be outside in God's creation. Even as the trees lose their leaves, there is beauty to behold. It is also a great time to remember that there is a season for everything. I hope that whatever "season" you are in, you can see God's hand of blessing and provision.

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September 2018

September went by so fast. With all our activities, we were so busy that we blinked and a month went by!

The boys started another semester of After School Kids Bible Study. They are studying the life of David. They meet on Mondays at our church with a bunch of other kids from the community.

We all started back to Bible Study Fellowship. Mom has a group of 15 ladies she leads each week as they study People of the Promised Land. Dad joined an online group. It has been so neat to meet with men from several different states and countries.

The kids are all enjoying Grace Academy two days a week. Marie and Anna are working on learning their letters and numbers. Eli and Thad are taking science, history, and art classes. This year is more challenging for Eli because he has homework!

We enjoyed helping out another foster family from our church one weekend this month. We took care of their 4 year old foster son. I will say that having three, 4 year-olds is quite a challenge! There was lots of silliness and tattling! It definitely settled the thought in our minds that we are not going to permanently take another 4 year old right now.

It is hard to believe, but Marie is now 5. We celebrated her birthday twice at the end of the month. Once with our small group and then again as a family. She has changed so much in the last year. She likes to help, loves to play games, and loves to sing and dance. She also enjoys drawing and coloring.

We ended the month going to an Old Fashioned Family Fun Fest. One of the local churches teamed up with the local college's music program to host a free community event. There were many things to do but by far the coolest was the musical petting zoo. There were all kinds of instruments that the kids could try. It was such a neat experience. I think the drums may be a part of Marie's future and maybe the saxophone for Eli.

We are looking forward to October in anticipation of cooler temperatures. We hope that you enjoy the slideshow.

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August 2018

August is always a month of transitions for our family. Summer break ends and Daddy heads back to work. School starts and the days grow shorter. Read on for details about the month.

Daddy started back to school for his 7th year of teaching at Southside. He says he has his ideal schedule this year. He gets to teach 3 AP Chemistry classes that are 2 periods each. He gets to spend his whole day teaching kids who really want to learn and who work really hard. It doesn't get much better than that! He also has a new principal at his school this year and so far she is making positive changes.

The boys are doing something different for school this year. River Valley Virtual Academy (RVVA) is an online school. The boys each go to their respective "classrooms" online each day in the comfort of our home and check their planner for the days lessons. They have online teachers who are there to assist and take care of all the lesson planning and correcting. This is a HUGE shift from how we have been doing homeschooling and has had a steep learning curve as far as using the technology, etc. So far, the boys are doing well. It is nice that they still get to be home, have tons of flexibility to work ahead and do their school work when it fits into our busy schedule. It has freed mom up some to work with the younger girls on learning their letters, sounds, numbers, etc.

At Marie's annual eye check, it was discovered that she needs glasses. She is super excited about this. Pray she learns quickly how to care for them and that they are for her eyes only. There is a picture of the demo pair she tried on in the slide show.

Anna had the first of two surgeries this month to correct a muscle paralysis in her throat that is causing speech issues. She had her adenoids removed the third week of August. She was such a trooper and didn't complain almost at all! In November, the surgeon will do a second surgery to reconstruct the back of her throat.

Swim team started back up. Eli was moved up another level and is really being challenged right now. Thad is swimming three days a week with his current group and one day a week at the next level up. I'm so proud of how hard these two work!

This month marks 5 years of foster parenting. We completed our re-evaluation and are praying for the next kiddo that the Lord has for us.

In addition to the above mentioned activities, we kicked off our fall semester of the small group we lead on Wednesday evenings, started piano lessons back up, and started back at Grace Academy.

Next month, we add a couple Bible Studies to the mix...just so we don't get bored! :-)

I hope your days have been cooler then ours but just as blessed! See you next month!

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July 2018

July was a month packed with fun adventures.

We finished up our time in Michigan with more beach adventures, playground fun, and backyard shenanigans. 

Next, we headed to Wisconsin where we spent time with Grandpa and Grandma Rice, Caleb and his family, Uncle Doug and his family, and Uncle Kevin and his family. The Lord blessed us with beautiful weather allowing us to spend most of our days outside. The kids had tons of fun with their cousins! Be sure to watch the Smilebox to catch a glimpse of some of our adventures.

Upon returning home, Jeff spent a week in training. The boys returned to swimming and spent a few days participating in Vacation Bible School. The girls and I kept busy swimming, reading, and playing. We picked up where we left off with our small group and had an opportunity to hear from a missionary on furlough from Africa.

We also had many friends over this month. We are so thankful for lots of space both indoor and out so that we can easily entertain how ever many folks want to come over! We had an essential oil BBQ and had 50-60 folks enjoying a time of food and fellowship.

We ended the month with a trip to the Amazeum. The museum had two new exhibits that were a ton of fun. There is so many fun things to do that it never gets old!

As this month comes to a close, I am again thankful for all that God has blessed us with. We have wonderful family that we look forward to spending time with. We have 5 active kiddos who are always ready for an adventure. We have more material possessions then we know what to do with. Finally, we have a Savior who loves us more than our finite minds can imagine. We are so blessed!

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June 2018

We sure packed a ton of things into this month. From tennis camp to swim lessons and everything in between, we were going, going, going. Read on for more details.

The boys participated in Fellowship of Christian Athletes Tennis Camp for the third year in a row. This is always a fun adventure and I love how they do a Christ centered devotion each day of the camp.

Marie and Anna had swim lessons. This was Marie's second year and she can now swim without a flotation device. Anna has gained some courage and although she still needs a floatie, she is jumping off the deck and putting her face in the water without fear.

This month the boys have had many opportunities to play with friends. Most days we had at least one extra kiddo at our house for part or all of the day. We are so thankful for a large house, cool pool, and tons of yard to play in!

Anna has had some speech issues since she began speaking. After several years of speech therapy, her therapist recommended seeing an ENT to ensure that there wasn't a physical reason behind some of her speech issues. After having several tests done at Arkansas Children's Hospital, it was determined she does indeed have an issue at that back of her throat. It will require two surgeries to correct. After prayer and much discussion we have decided that the surgeries are the best coarse of action for her future. The first surgery is scheduled for the end of August and the following one will be done the day before Thanksgiving.

During Anna's appointments, Daddy and the other kiddos got to enjoy a day at the Museum of Discovery in Little Rock. This was their first time there and it was so much fun!

Then came the boys first official swim meet. It was a HUGE meet put on by our club, the Fort Smith Tideriders. It was an energized atmosphere but also a little overwhelming. There were more then 500 swimmers, their family, many officials, timers, and coaches. Thad was one of the youngest swimmers but that didn't stop he or Eli from swimming hard and gaining valuable experience. They enjoyed the races but had even more fun hanging out with some of their teammates. The pictures with Abby and Mia are friends that are also in our home school group. The boys had fun playing cards and laughing in between races.

We have also been participating in the Summer Reading Program at the library along with several of their summer fun days including Lego Club. The girls did a day of fun dance class. We had fun at our home school group's annual water park night. Thad also had two baby teeth pulled. We hosted our small group on Wednesday evenings. Momma is doing a Bible Study on Tuesday nights. We also repainted out kitchen cabinets, hung a new ceiling fan, installed a new chlorine generator on the pool, and did a bunch of repairs to the Suburban.

To bring a climax to our month, we climbed in the car and showed up at Nana and Papa's house a day early...SURPRISE! So far, we have played at playgrounds, swam in the lake, dumped out all the toys at Nana and Papa's house, and celebrated Thad's birthday. We still have several more days of enjoying time in Michigan before heading to Wisconsin.

We hope you enjoy all the pictures!

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May 2018

May was another busy month. Here are a few highlights:

Jeff's Birthday
Jeff's AP Test (for his students)
The Finale of Romans for BSF
Helping Friends Move
Mother's Day
Leigh Ann's Birthday
Taking Care of a Friend's Pooch
Friends Birthday Parties x 4
The End of School for This Year
The Finale of Piano for This Year
The Start of Summer Break
Lots of Time in the Pool

It is hard to believe that another school year has come to a close. As summer swings into high gear, we look forward to more time spent with family, refreshment through spending more time in God's Word, and a slower pace of life for a couple months. Check back here next month for an update on our June activities. Enjoy the slideshow!

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April 2018

We started April with a celebration and ended it with one. Read on for more details.

April 1st, although celebrated by some as April Fool's Day, was significant to us for a much more special reason. This year, Easter was the very first day of the month. I couldn't ask for a better way to start off a new month then celebrating the day that Jesus rose from the grave. He conquered sin and death and he did it for you and me! I am so thankful. We also got to enjoy the day with Jeff's parents who were finishing up their visit with us.

This month we wrapped up another year at Grace Academy. This was Anna's first year and she is so sad that it is over. The boys both received awards for showing Godly character and excelling in academics. They still have a few weeks or so of school with Mom but are working hard to wrap up their studies.

We were excited as our 40+ year old windows were replaced this month. We now have fully functioning windows that look great too! 

The boys had their kidney check-ups this month. Having tests done is never pleasant but we made it a fun day by heading to the Amazeum afterward. The kids LOVE going and there is always something new to do. We still don't have all the results back from the boys testing but do know that their disease is progressing. This is never easy news to deal with but we trust that God is still sovereign.

We got an opportunity to attend a banquet thrown in honor of the kiddos on the swim team. Eli and Thad both got metals for their first year and moving up a level. Eli also won an award for most improved times and best attitude in his age group. It probably helps that he is also one of the most competitive!

In other news, Eden took her first trip to the dentist and did great. We opened the pool after a very chilly spring. We got to attend the symphony with the boys thanks to the generosity of some special friends. Finally, we celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary.

It is fun to look back at the month and see all the ways God has blessed us. I hope you too can look back and see the wonderful ways God is at work in your life.

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March 2018

March has been a month for company. Read on for all the fun details.

Leigh Ann's mom continued her stay through the first week of the month. Her visit was such a blessing. We enjoyed taking her to the Amazeum Children's Museum in Northwest Arkansas. The Lord blessed us with a beautiful day so we had fun playing with all the indoor and outdoor activities.

We also celebrated Anna's 4th birthday with Nana. Nana made hot pink cupcakes with sprinkles for the occasion. Anna loved all her fun gifts. Thank you to all our family and friends who blessed her with MANY new toys! Anna loves to "read" stories, play with dolls, and jump on the trampoline. She has a very active imagination and makes up stories all the time.

Our next round of company came at the beginning of Spring Break. We had a great time with Jeff's oldest brother and his family. Playing with the cousins is always so much fun. Thanks to the help of many hands we were able to get a privacy fence up, a HUGE pile of brush hauled off, and many other smaller projects.

Spring Break gave us some much needed down time and allowed us to get some other projects done around the house. We were again blessed with some lovely weather and some of the kids even started to get a tan!

Next up was Eden's birthday. Her age now matches her attitude: Terrible 2. She is into absolutely everything. To say that nothing is safe would be the understatement of the year. If you put something up high she will climb on something to get it. If you lock something up, she will figure out how to unlock it or break it trying. If you say no, she only tries harder. She is all about independence and "I do" is frequently heard coming from her mouth. On the flip side, she sings the sweetest rendition of Jesus Loves Me, gives the best hugs and kisses, and really wants to be a good helper.

The end of the month brought a special visit from Jeff's parents. Having Grandma and Grandpa Rice here is always special. We celebrated Eden's birthday, played at the playground, competed at cards, and celebrated Easter together. We enjoyed several beautiful days of fellowship together.

Easter, a time to celebrate our Risen Lord. A time to rejoice in a Living Savior. A way to remember how very blessed we are to be rescued from our sin! I hope you too rejoice in your salvation this Easter season.

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February 2018

You will probably have already turned the page on your calendar (if you are old school) by the time you read this. February seemed like it flew by. I guess it helps that it is a few days shorter! This month we enjoyed Valentine's Day, a Christian Conference, and playing in puddles!

Rain, rain, and more rain. Apparently, we were in a drought. I don't think that is the case anymore! We have had so much rain that we are now sitting on lake front property. This has made for many indoor play days. When the sun peeks its head out from under the clouds, we head outside in our rain boots.

Valentines Day is always fun with little people. Eli and Thad made fun boxes (with a little help from Mom) for their class parties. Each of the big kids were surprised with a balloon and candy from Mom and Dad. Daddy surprised Mommy with chocolate covered strawberries. So yummy!

Eli and Jeff attended a Christian Conference for 4th and 5th graders with our church. Eli LOVED it. It was high energy with great speakers and good music. Part of the fun included a trip to Incredible Pizza for lunch. It has indoor go carts, a roller coaster, and lots of arcade games. Eli even beat Jeff at go carts!

The boys participated in another swim meet this month. They both improved their times greatly in each of the events: backstroke, butterfly, breast stroke, and free style. They are so fun to watch!

The end of the month brought a much anticipated visitor. Nana flew into Fort Smith on the 21st and will be here for another week. She has been such a blessing. She has helped with meals, loved on the kids, taken them on "dates", given Jeff & Leigh Ann a date, cleaned up countless messes, loved on the kids more, helped shop, make more meals, coach the boys on their piano pieces for festival, and so on. Did I mention she is AMAZING?!? Even Zeke wants her attention!

Valentine's Day provides a fun way to spoil those with love with additional affection. More importantly though, is the love of God. Without His love, nothing else would matter. I hope that you have experienced the love of God. We have been so blessed as He has poured out His love on our family. We are so thankful that we can love because He first loved us!

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January 2018

Happy New Year! I hope your year is off to a great start. Read on to see what our month was like.

We started the year trying to get over the last vestiges of the flu. Thankfully, the girls never came down with it. Unfortunately, they had boundless energy and the rest of us did not. Christmas break came to an end the first week of January and we got a slow start back into life.

We decided to take a long weekend the middle of the month and head to NWA to make up for things we didn't get to do over Christmas break. We got a hotel that had a pool. The kids loved getting to swim and play. The night proved to be a challenge when Eden coughed for 4 hours straight in the middle of the night. Thank goodness for a 24 hour Walmart nearby!

The next day we awoke to snow falling. We headed to the Children's Museum for some more fun. There was a new lab experiment in the Hershey's Lab as well as several new things to play with throughout the museum. This is one of my kids most favorite places to visit right now.

We continue to plug away at the endless list of projects both in the house and in the yard. We trimmed all the Crepe Myrtle Trees in our backyard. We now have to rent a chipper or haul off about 3 trailer loads of brush! We also ripped out a bunch of ugly bushes from near the front of the house. Slowly but surely we are transforming the look of the place. We might be done by the time the kids are grown...or not!

That is all for now. I hope this New Year finds you in good health. Until next month...

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December 2017

We started the month with a bang but it ended in a bust. Read on for more details...

Nana and Papa gave us a membership to the hands-on children's museum in Northwest Arkansas for Christmas so we started off the month enjoying the first of many visits. It was sooo much fun. There is so much to do and exhibits change so there is always something new.

We spent the following weekend with 3 extra kiddos. We watched a 2 year old, 3 year old, and 10 year old for some friends so they could get away for a night. It was a CRAZY but fun filled two days!

The next big event is a service project our church does every year. We host a dinner and Christmas party for over 300 families with disabled kiddos in our area. The boys love serving every year and this year was no different.

The next weekend, Jeff, the boys, and I attended the Annie Moses Christmas Concert with some friends. It was such an amazing concert and we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Next on the agenda was another swim meet. Eli did well. Unfortunately, Thad could not participate due to messing up his hip. He is hoping to be able to resume swimming in January.

Finally, Christmas break arrived. We opened presents as a family before packing up and heading to Illinois to meet up with the rest of Jeff's family. As you will see from the pictures, there was much merriment. Unfortunately, the flu bug bit several members of the family. We came home a day early and from then on it was a down-hill slide. The boys were definitely hit the worst. Both they, and Mama tested positive for Flu type A. Aches, chills, fever, and severe upper-respiratory and sinus junk. We are still fighting this bug. Thankfully, Jeff's case seems to be less severe, the girls haven't had any symptoms except fever, and Jeff is still on Christmas break. Please pray for complete healing.

As a New Year starts, I can't help but wonder what adventures it holds for our family. The wonderful thing is that no matter what the future holds, God is with us and has a plan. Happy New Year!

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